As larger size bottles are used in packaging various household products, there is a need to provide for an effective way to grip the bottles. This is the case since from the time of purchase by the consumer until the liquid that is in the bottle has been consumed the bottle will be handled many times. During this handling, it is important that the bottle not be dropped. Whenever a bottle is dropped, there is the possibility of spillage of some of the contained substance as well as the possibility of causing the bottle to fracture. It is, thus, a continuing concern on the part of manufacturers of household products to provide bottle containers which can be easily gripped and which can be maneuvered with a minimal probability of being dropped.
Smaller sized bottles generally do not require a separate gripping means. This is the case since the bottle will be fairly tightly gripped within a person's hand. However, as the size of the bottle exceeds about a 500 ml volume size the technique that is to be provided for the gripping of the bottle becomes important. Further, as the size of the bottle increases to one to two liters in size the technique that is to be provided for gripping the bottle becomes a very distinct concern. One technique that has been utilized with regard to the larger sized bottles is to provide the bottle with a handle. Such handles are usually integrally molded with the body of the container. Bottles with handles are used for packaging milk in a volume of about four liters as well as various fabric detergents in the two liter to four liter size. For these bottles, it is convenient to utilize handles which can be easily and readily gripped by a person's hand. However, for bottles in a size range of about one half liter to about two liters there is generally no convenient and positive gripping technique. These bottles are generally of too small a volume to efficiently incorporate a separate handle, but yet must be able to be positively gripped and maneuvered while being gripped. The present invention is directed to the problem of providing a positive gripping technique for bottles which are within this size range. It also provides a means for gripping a bottle manufactured from materials which do not allow the integral molding of handles.
This problem is now solved in a very unique manner. In the present invention, there is provided a gripping means for a bottle whereby whether the bottle is gripped from the front or from the rear, the gripping action and the gripping hand feel is essentially the same. In this way in order to get a comfortable gripping feel, a person does not have to turn a bottle to a different orientation or pass the bottle from one hand to the other in order to dispense a product. Further, there is a decreased likelihood of the bottle being dropped since the gripping feel is the same whether the bottle is gripped from the front or from the rear. This provides an added degree of confidence when the bottle is picked up and product dispensed from the bottle.